Where we begin

Welcome to our web site, devoted to supporting Laughter Yoga in Aotearoa / New Zealand. We are a loosely organised group of volunteers whose aim is to teach you how to laugh for no reason, so you always have a laugh ready inside, for those moments when you really need one.

Laughter Clubs

Have a look around the site: you’ll see that we have Laughter Clubs in many places around the country. These are essentially free (we ask a modest donation to cover room hire, etc) and all you have to do is turn up, leave your brain at the door, and get a laughter workout.

Aerobic Exercise

Make no mistake, full-on laughter is a true aerobic exercise. Unlike the gym however, there is no competitive aspect, no pushing through the pain threshold; you laugh at your own pace and work as hard or as easy as you like. Our mantra in this regard is No Strain, No New Pain.

Medical Research

Medical research has clearly established the physical and mental benefits of hearty laughter. A glance at our page About Laughter Yoga will show you the background to this, and the results of current research. In brief, the message is that the more you engage with Laughter Yoga, the less often you will get sick and the quicker you’ll recover from sickness .

Background

Laughter Yoga was devised by Dr Madan Kataria and his wife Madhuri in 1995, and has now spread worldwide to over 60 countries and more than 10,000 clubs. The Clubs are run as non-profit centres and Laughter Yoga itself is a non-political and non-ideological organisation, responsible for certifying leaders and providing other leader development services.